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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · rock · bore · calf · chair · wax · wake · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — to tire
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. land — to come down
  22. rock — a stone
  23. land — a country
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com